New orchards..

[G-Man]

Well have a few new orchards started, a 16 tree apple orchard from antique varieties of apple. , a sweet cheery orchard of 4 trees and  a 6 bush blueberry patch of 4 varieties and still to come 22 bush blueberry patch of 5 varieties..  got them all fenced and 2 hours later the deer were nosing thru them, glad I had them fenced..  will get some photos in daylight. 

Soon to start will be a honeysuckle project , hope to remove a few acres of them where they have taken over. Be next few days as they are just starting to leaf out...  

Always projects to do.....

[stubborn1VT]

What is your method for removing honeysuckle?  

[G-Man]

4 hours ago, stubborn1VT said:

What is your method for removing honeysuckle?  

Well honeysuckle is nice in that it is 1st to leave out well before most other shrubs, trees ,plants. So a simple 2 to 2.5% solution of gly is all that is needed.  Spray and move on ,just have to make sure your not getting yourself or if it is too windy having drift occur. I like the leaves to be about penny sized when I spray.  If you pull them all you do is disturb the soil and old seeds from them just regrow. The dead may  stand for 2 or 3 years  before they are on the ground rotting away. If you want them down faster you could crush them. Personally the game still uses the skeletons for cover but you can see them as they hold leves very late.  You can also use the same method for autumn olive as it also leaf out early

Edited April 3, 2020 by G-Man

[Crazed98Camaro]

4 hours ago, stubborn1VT said:

What is your method for removing honeysuckle?  

We have an old pasture field from the 60s that has grown over. Lots of wild apple, bush honeysuckles, hawthorne and red maples. We are in the process of clearing out majority of the honeysuckle and hawthorne.

 

I've found that if the honeysuckles are smaller they can be pulled up by hand. This time of year seems best for it - right before they leaf out and the ground is still wet. Their root system is pretty shallow and as soon are you get a few roots up the whole thing usually comes with. Only been here for 3 years so not sure if they will regrow like g-man mentioned, but this is land that we will be mowing pretty consistently. 

[G-Man]

New orchard , the ground between will serve as a mini garden till the trees prohibit it..  then it will be put into clover. trees are protected by 2x4 x 4ft welded fencing 26in long pieces formed into a cylinder. I prefer 5ft when planting in isolated areas but this is off my lawn and will be more of a human consumption orchard and  deer orchard upon retirement

[G-Man]

A little tsi today, soon to become hosts for blue oyster mushroomsorchard with trees in fencing

[nyslowhand]

FYI - Deer near the orchards up here will jump an 8' fence when apples ripen.

[sodfather]

Fruit trees have a high insect issue. What do you use to treat them throughout the year ?

[G-Man]

49 minutes ago, sodfather said:

Fruit trees have a high insect issue. What do you use to treat them throughout the year ?

My deer orchards I leave as is.

These will get dormant oil spray,malathion, and sevin. As needed.

[G-Man]

7 hours ago, nyslowhand said:

FYI - Deer near the orchards up here will jump an 8' fence when apples ripen.

I only protect the trunk from rubbing and while its young once limbs are pruned over 5 ft and trunk big enough the fence comes off.

Commercial orchard are typically dwarf trees and deer would devour them if whole orchard not fenced.

Not worried about them eating apples , have many photos of them standing on hind feet picking apples.  Makes a nice spot to hunt as well. When their heads are up in the limbs.. and a simple net on a ploe let's one pick what they want from the ground safely.

Edited April 4, 2020 by G-Man